The owner of a major Greek food company has been formally arrested and could face life imprisonment following a deadly factory explosion that killed five workers last month.

THESSALONIKI: The owner of a major Greek food company has been formally arrested and could face life imprisonment following a deadly factory explosion that killed five workers last month. Lawyer Christos Patounas, representing victims’ families, confirmed the arrest on Sunday.

Constantinos Tziortziotis, 52, was arrested on Saturday and is scheduled to testify next week. He is accused of failing to act on signs of a long-running propane leak at the Violanta company’s flagship factory near Trikala.

“Employees have testified that there had been a strange smell for months,” Patounas told AFP. He added that the owner allegedly did not ensure necessary repairs for financial reasons.

An investigator has charged Tziortziotis with arson and explosion with possible intent, which carries a potential life sentence. He was initially detained and charged with negligent homicide after the January 26 blast.

The explosion obliterated a section of the factory, killing five women. Greek fire investigators said it was caused by a months-long propane leak that travelled 25 metres and ignited.

Violanta has stated it strictly applies all safety protocols. The Trikala plant produced 12,500 tons of biscuits and wafers annually for export to around 40 countries.

 The Sun Malaysia